Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar Give-Away

UPDATE: The winner of the give-away (chosen by random number generator) is Maria, who said – Been wanting to cook brussels sprouts again, and this would be wonderful to use! Congratulations, Maria!

Before Ryan and I took our recent trip to Ojai, our friends recommended we check out the Ojai Olive Oil tour and tasting room. It was unfortunately a little drizzly out, so we didn’t get to take the tour, but we did visit the tasting room. They had both unflavored and flavored olive oils, as well as balsamic vinegars to try. Everything we tasted was absolutely amazing, and they had unique flavors that I’d never seen in other oils and vinegars.

My favorite oils were the Basil and Garlic flavors. But what really blew me away were the flavored Balsamic Vinegars – especially the Peach and Blackberry Ginger, although all of the flavors were incredible. Rather than tasting artificial or chemical, each one tasted exactly like the flavor described. I love using balsamic vinegars with fruit and desserts, and these flavors are perfect for just that.

To kick off a week of C’est La Vegan give-aways, the kind owner of Ojai Olive Oil is generously going to send one lucky winner a bottle of their Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar. To enter, just leave a comment telling me how you would use the vinegar if you’re the lucky winner. (I’m personally planning to make a blackberry compote to drizzle along with the vinegar over some vegan vanilla ice cream…). The contest is open to U.S residents only, and it will close on Sunday, December 11th at 9pm PST.

If you aren’t the winner, you can still order directly from the Ojai Olive site, and they’ll ship the products right to your door. Any of the oils, vinegars or cosmetic products would make great holiday gifts, even for the non-cook. They’re so good that they’ll turn anyone into a gourmet. And be sure to check in each day this week for new give-aways and holiday gift ideas!

This would be fantastic since my husband is eating oil-free these days. We’d use it to dress salads – I’m thinking baby lettuces, cucumber, and shredded beets. I’d also brush it on tempeh slabs, bake them, and serve them alongside mashed yellow potatoes and Brussels sprouts. A dash on the Brussels sprouts would probably be nice too.

This sounds lovely! My first thought is to macerate mixed berries in this vinegar and serve over vanilla ice cream (vegan or otherwise). Having grown up in Oklahoma, anything blackberry automatically appeals to me.

I think it would make a nice asian vinegrette with a dash of sesame oil for an asian type coleslaw. The sweetness of the fruit and ginger infusion in the balsamic would go well with nutty slivered almonds and sesame, and it would have a very complex fragrance.

OMG! I am drooling right now, thinking about all the things I could use this for/in: a base for salad dressing (a spinach, kale, sauteed pear and candied pecan salad would be perfect); as edible plate deco for a decadent chocolate-fig mini-cake; a ribbon of this poured into a bowl of red lentil and sweet potato soup; the “secret ingredient” in brandied fruit or macerated fruit.

I’m not sure how I would use this, because the flavor combination sounds so amazing. I think some of it would definitely go into a reduction to drizzle on ice cream and cookies. I think it would make a dandy blackberry jam, too!